News and views about the implementation of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2009 and other legislation, schemes and policies impacting the Right to Education of India's Children.

Saturday, March 30, 2013

Vadodara village gets remedial training centre for special children

Bajwa, which is surrounded by
industries on the outskirt of Vadodara city, has become the first and
only village in the district to have a remedial training centre for
children with disabilities in the age group of six to 18 years.
Formally inaugurated on Sunday, Bal Gopal Multiple Disability
School started functioning last month, thanks to joint efforts of the
Bajwa village panchayat and a non-government organisation (NGO).
The centre provides remedial training and education to 53
differently-abled children (mostly mentally challenged) of workers
living in Bajwa, Karodiya, Karachiya, Undera and Chhani villages.
"Early this year, I had a survey conducted in the village to find
out children who were not attending schools. We came across 65 children
who were not going to school as they battled various disabilities,"
Suresh Thakkar, the then sarpanch of Bajwa said. Subsequently, he
contacted a few NGOs to do something for these children but did not
receive a favouralbe response. In the meantime, an NGO surveyed Bajwa
and some other villages for Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan of the state education
department.
"We found around 100 children who were not going to school and
needed special attention. We approached Bajwa village panchayat to start
the centre and they readily agreed to help," said Jayshree Chaudhary,
founding president, Astitva Foundation.
Under an agreement, the panchayat gave four rooms to the NGO in
the Primary School No 1 to use free of cost. The school authorities had
surrendered the rooms to the panchayat as they were not used for lack of
students. The centre charges each child Rs 50 per month "to ensure
sustained interest from parents".